SYMONS OF POUNDSTOCK AND WERRINGTON
Two couples having children baptised at Werrington around the time when William Symons (ca 1800-1870) was born were Thomas and Ann Symons and John and Rebecca Symons. Thomas Symons and Ann Gilberd married at Werrington in 1786 and John Symons and Rebecca Gilberd were married there in 1787. Thomas and Ann had a son Thomas baptised in January 1799 and a son Robert in October 1801 so there does not seem to be a significant gap where William would be likely to fit. However, children of John and Rebecca were baptised at Werrington in 1788 and 1790 and then 1803, 1806 and 1809. During the large gap after the first two, another two children are recorded in the baptism records of St Thomas by Launceston in 1792 and 1796. Considering that William Symons is variously said in the census returns to have been born at Launceston and Werrington, if his parents had moved in the way John and Rebecca Symons appear to have done then some confusion might be expected.
A William Symons, son of John and Mary, is recorded in the bishop’s transcripts for St Mary Magdalene, Launceston, as being baptised on 8 June 1800. On the face of it he could be the individual who married Sarah Pooley in 1826. There are other entries for children of John and Mary Symons there in the same period, including Grace on 18 April 1797 and Kathren and Elizabeth on 9 October 1799. The latter date is rather close to 8 June 1800 when William was baptised, so unless there was more than one John and Mary Symons having children there at the time, the mother’s name may be a mistake, and the 1800 baptism could actually be for a son of John and Rebecca.
In any case, DNA evidence supports a descent from the Gilberd family as above for Ruth Margaret (Daniels) Davies, a great-great-granddaughter of Samuel, son of William and Sarah (Pooley) Symons. Ruth has matches of 19 cM, 18 cM, 15 cM and 11 cM with four seventh-generation descendants of Digory and Margery (Sheer) Gilberd through two different children of their son Thomas Gilberd. The 19 cM and 18 cM matches have one reported shared match with Ruth, the shared match being a descendant of Grace, daughter of William and Sarah (Pooley) Symons, suggesting that the link is indeed through William or Sarah. Furthermore, Ruth has a 12 cM match with a descendant of Mary (Gilberd) Holman, daughter of Digory and Margery (Sheer) Gilberd. Again, the same descendant of Grace Symons shows as a shared match.[1]
John Symons of Werrington was said to be seventy-two when he was buried in 1831, and Thomas Symons of Werrington was stated to be sixty-five in 1827. These ages match well with the baptisms at Poundstock of John Symons in 1760 and Thomas Symons in 1762, both sons of Philip and Mary Symons. Confirmation of their identities is obtained through the will of Mary Horrell of Week St Mary, written in 1816 and proved in 1819. The testator left wearing apparel and linen “unto Rebecca Symons, Wife of my Son John Symons, and unto Ann Symons, Wife of my Son Thomas Symons”.[2] Mary Symons and Thomas Horrell had been married at Poundstock in 1783.
The will of Thomas Symons of Tintagel, written in 1702/03, mentions among others his brother Philip Symons, “Cosen Jane Symons”, “Cosen Patience Symons” and “Cosen William Symons”. This suggests that the brother Philip was one of that name who had children baptised at Poundstock with a wife Grace in the 1670s (Jane and Patience) and a wife Ebbet in 1695 (William). Thomas and Philip were among the sons of William Symons of Tintagel whose will was written in 1688.
The 1645 will of John Symons of St Juliot mentions sons named Philip, Degory and William. As William Symons of Tintagel also had sons named Philip and Degory, this is suggestive that William of Tintagel was the son of John. Moreover, John is known to have been associated with property in Poundstock,[3] in which parish later members of the family covered here are known to have lived.
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SYMONS
1 JOHN SYMONS of St Juliot, Cornwall,
gentleman, died ca 1646.[4]
Children of John Symons:
i PHILIP SYMONS of Poundstock,
bur 27 Mar 1666, Poundstock.[5]
ii DEGORY SYMONS of Launcells,
yeoman, d ca 1648;[6] m 1631, Launcells, SUSANNA CORY.[7]
2 iii WILLIAM SYMONS
(d ca 1694).
iv GRACE SYMONS.
v MARY SYMONS.
2 WILLIAM SYMONS of Tintagel, yeoman,
died ca 1694.[8]
Children of William Symons:
i WILLIAM SYMONS.[9]
ii DEGORY SYMONS.[10]
3 iii PHILIP SYMONS
(bur 1731/32); m(1) GRACE; m(2) EBBET; m(3) JOAN ( ) (HANGER) MURFILL.
iv THOMAS SYMONS of Tintagel, yeoman, bur 2
Feb 1702/03, Tintagel;[11] m
23 Jul 1695, Tintagel, JOAN.[12]
v PATIENCE SYMONS, bur 17 Jul 1731,
Tintagel;[13] m 24 Jul 1695, Tintagel,
WILLIAM BRAY.[14]
3 PHILIP SYMONS, yeoman, was buried on 6
January 1731/32 at Poundstock.[15] He
married first, GRACE.[16]
He married second, EBBET.[17]
He married third, on 19 October 1710 at Poundstock,
JOAN ( ) (HANGER)
MURFILL.[18] She was buried on 5 July
1733 at Poundstock.[19]
Children of Philip and Grace
Symons:
i JANE SYMONS, bap 1 Jun 1677, Poundstock;[20] m
10 Nov 1709, Poundstock, JOHN COLWILL.[21]
ii PATIENCE SYMONS, bap 17 Oct 1678, Poundstock.[22]
Child of Philip and Ebbet Symons:
4 iii WILLIAM SYMONS
(1695-1743); m JANE UGLOW.
4 WILLIAM SYMONS of Poundstock,
yeoman, was baptised on 24 December 1695 at Poundstock[23]
and buried on 9 May 1743 at Poundstock.[24]
He married on 12 January 1719/20 at Marhamchurch,
JANE UGLOW,[25] daughter of John and
Martha (Shepherd) Uglow (see here). Jane was
baptised on 12 June 1690 at Marhamchurch and buried
on 5 October 1755 at Poundstock.
Children of William and Jane
(Uglow) Symons:
5 i PHILIP
SYMONS (1722-1774); m MARY FEATHERSTONE.
ii WILLIAM SYMONS of Poundstock,
yeoman, bap 30 May 1724, Poundstock,[26]
bur 29 Dec 1761, Poundstock;[27] m
3 Aug 1759, Forrabury, ELIZABETH BENOKE.[28]
iii JOHN SYMONS of Poundstock,
bap Jun 1726, Poundstock,[29]
bur 21 Mar 1794, Poundstock;[30]
m(1) 28 Jun 1760, Poundstock, JOAN BENOKE;[31]
m(2) 9 May 1776, Otterham, JOAN ELSON.[32]
iv THOMAS SYMONS, bap 21 Jun 1728, Poundstock.[33]
v JOANNA SYMONS, bap 13 Jul 1730, Poundstock,[34]
bur 29 Apr 1786, Poundstock.[35]
vi EBBET SYMONS, bap 25 Jan 1732/33, Poundstock,[36]
bur 7 Aug 1807, Poundstock;[37] m
4 Oct 1756, Poundstock, JOHN KINSMAN.[38]
5 PHILIP SYMONS of Poundstock
was baptised on 23 May 1722 at Poundstock[39]
and buried on 17 June 1774 at Poundstock.[40]
He married on 3 May 1756 at Poundstock, MARY
FEATHERSTONE,[41] daughter of Richard and
Mary (Badcock) Featherstone (see here). She
was baptised on 6 February 1736/37 at Week St Mary and buried on 2 November
1817 at Week St Mary. She married second, on 23 November 1783 at Poundstock, Thomas Horrell.
Children of Philip and Mary
(Featherstone) Symons:
i PHILIP SYMONS, bap 30 Dec 1756, Poundstock.[42]
ii WILLIAM SYMONS of Week St Mary, maltster,
bap 12 Feb 1758, Poundstock,[43]
bur 25 Nov 1824, Week St Mary;[44] m
MARY.[45]
6 iii JOHN SYMONS
(1760-1831); m REBECCA GILBERD.
iv THOMAS SYMONS of Werrington, bap 28 Feb
1762, Poundstock,[46]
bur 2 Sep 1827, Werrington;[47] m
16 Apr 1786, Werrington, ANN GILBERD.[48]
v ROBERT SYMONS of Stratton, carpenter, bap
1 Nov 1764, Poundstock,[49] d
28 Dec 1846, Stratton;[50] m
24 Jun 1789, Hatherleigh, ELIZABETH DART.[51]
vi RICHARD SYMONS, bap 22 Apr 1767, Poundstock.[52]
vii JAMES SYMONS of Poundstock,
farmer, bap 4 Oct 1769, Poundstock,[53] d
1 Feb 1851;[54] m 22 Nov 1790, Poundstock, ANN TRIPLETT.[55]
6 JOHN SYMONS of Yeolmbridge,
Werrington, was baptised on 18 January 1760 at Poundstock[56]
and buried on 15 December 1831 at Werrington.[57]
He married on 29 July 1787 at Werrington, REBECCA GILBERD,[58]
daughter of Digory and Margery (Sheer) Gilberd (see here). Rebecca
was baptised on 25 December 1765 at North Petherwin
and buried on 22 October 1836 at Werrington.
Children of John and Rebecca
(Gilberd) Symons:
i MARGERY SYMONS, bap 10 Feb 1788,
Werrington.[59]
ii MARY
SYMONS, bap 11 Apr 1790, Werrington.[60]
iii JANE
SYMONS, bap 25 Nov 1792, St Thomas by Launceston,[61] d
11 Jan 1874;[62] m 7 Jul 1812, Werrington,
JOHN NETHERTON.[63]
iv JAMES
SYMONS, bap 15 May 1796, St Thomas by Launceston,[64]
bur 28 Sep 1822, Werrington.[65]
7 v WILLIAM SYMONS
(ca 1800-1870); m SARAH POOLEY.
vi THOMAS
SYMONS of Launceston, farm labourer, b Werrington, bap 29 May 1803, Werrington;[66] m
GRACE.[67]
vii RICHARD
SYMONS of Yeolmbridge, quarryman, b Werrington, bap
15 Jun 1806, Werrington,[68]
bur 26 May 1852, Werrington;[69] m
11 Sep 1831, Lifton, MARY HEARN.[70]
viii REBECCA
SYMONS, bap 9 Jul 1809, Werrington,[71]
bur 8 Dec 1811, Werrington.[72]
7 WILLIAM SYMONS of Yeolmbridge, Werrington, stone mason’s labourer and farm labourer, was born ca 1800 at Launceston or Werrington,[73] and died on 23 January 1870 at St Stephen by Launceston.[74] He married on 2 November 1826 at Boyton, SARAH POOLEY,[75] daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Smith) Pooley (see here). Sarah was born at Boyton, baptised on 10 April 1803 at Boyton, and died on 17 June 1851 at Werrington.
Children of William and Sarah
(Pooley) Symons:
8 i
SAMUEL SYMONS
(1827-1886); m JANE PEARCE.
ii WILLIAM SYMONS of Yeolmbridge,
stone mason; b Werrington,[76] bap 15 Feb 1829, Werrington,[77] bur 16
Jan 1892, Werrington;[78] m 29 Mar 1853, Werrington, JANE SEARLE.[79]
iii RICHARD SYMONS of Werrington, quarry labourer,
b Werrington,[80] bap 10 Jul 1831, Werrington;[81] m
ELIZABETH.[82]
iv ANN SYMONS, b Werrington,[83] bap 15 Dec 1833,
Werrington,[84] bur 18 Apr 1851, Werrington.[85]
v SUSANNAH SYMONS, bap 27 Mar 1836, Werrington.[86]
vi SARAH SYMONS, b 5 Mar 1838, Werrington,[87] d 2 Mar
1923, Cobourg, Ontario;[88] m 9 Aug
1859, Northumberland and Durham Counties, Ontario, WILLIAM HOPPER.[89]
vii
JOHN SYMONS of Stratton,
farmer, b Werrington,[90] bap 9 Aug 1840, Werrington,[91] d 13
Mar 1893, Stratton;[92] m
ELIZABETH.[93]
viii ELIZABETH SYMONS, bap 7 Apr 1843, Werrington,[94] bur 9
Apr 1843, Werrington.[95]
ix GRACE SYMONS, b Werrington,[96] bap 16 May 1845, Werrington,[97] d Jan 1924, Plymouth;[98] m 25 Feb 1864, Marystow, Devon, JOHN PALMER.[99]
8 SAMUEL SYMONS of Lower Truscott, St Stephen by Launceston, farm bailiff, was born at Werrington,[100] baptised on 27 May 1827 at Werrington,[101] and died on 1 June 1886 at St Stephen.[102] He married on 7 May 1860 at the Wesleyan Association Chapel, Tavistock, JANE PEARCE,[103] daughter of Henry and Mary (Veal) Pearce (see here). Jane was born at Northcott Hamlet, baptised on 18 September 1825 at Boyton, and died on 26 November 1886 at St Stephen.
Children of Samuel and Jane (Pearce)
Symons:
i WILLIAM HENRY SYMONS, b 10 May 1861, bap 26
Jun 1861, Launceston,[104] d 8
Jan 1864.[105]
ii JANE SYMONS, b 11 Nov 1862, St Stephen,[106] d 23 Oct 1943, Leeds, Yorkshire;[107] m 27 Aug 1885, Tower Street Chapel,
Launceston, HENRY TURNER[108] (see here).
iii MARY SYMONS, b 4 Jul 1866, St Stephen,[109] d 23 Oct 1938;[110] m(1)
11 Nov 1886, Launceston, SAMUEL CHARLES PERKIN;[111] m(2) 15
Apr 1902, Launceston, WILLIAM HENRY SHUTE.[112]
iv BESSIE SYMONS, b 10 Aug 1869, St Stephen,[113] d 11 Apr 1944;[114] m 19
Oct 1893, Tower Street Chapel, Launceston, JOHN BRAY.[115]
[1] Results from AncestryDNA.
[4] Will dated 2 Jul 1645, proved 31 Jan 1647 (Kresen Kernow, AP/S/1016). A William Symons of St Juliot wrote his will in 1644 and it was proved in 1647 (Kresen Kernow, AP/S/1018). It seems unlikely that this was the William named in the 1645 will of John Symons. There was more than one William Symons in the area (a William Symons junior witnessed William’s will). William’s will was witnessed by a Stephen Symons and the inventory was taken by a Nicholas Symons, who are not known to have been members of the family of John Symons. A William Symons the younger of St Juliot is mentioned in the nuncupative will of Philadelphia Martyn and a related court case of 1645. The inventory of Philadelphia’s estate was taken by Philip Symons of St Juliot (Kresen Kernow, AP/M/748).
[5] Poundstock parish registers.
[7] Launcells bishop’s transcripts.
[8] Will dated 3 Aug 1688, proved 17 May 1695 (Kresen Kernow, AP/S/1982). He may have been the William Symons who married Jane Davy at Tintagel on 27 Apr 1639.
[9] A William Symons junior married an Eleanor at Tintagel in 1669. A son of William Symons junior and Joan was baptised at Tintagel in 1674.
[10] Patience, the reputed daughter of Degory Symons and Joan Hoskin, was baptised at Tintagel in 1673/74.
[11] Cornwall Burials (online at www.findmypast.co.uk); Kresen Kernow, AP/S/2144.
[12] Cornwall Marriages (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[13] Cornwall Burials (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[14] Cornwall Marriages (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[15] Cornwall Burials (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[16] She is named in the baptism entries for her daughters Jane and Patience.
[17] She is named as the mother in the baptism entry for her son William. A Phillip Symons and Elizabeth Cole were married at St Cleer on 30 Nov 1684.
[18] Poundstock parish register abstracts. Joan was said to be of the parish of Stratton at the time of her marriage in 1710. She appears to have been the widow successively of John Hanger (Kresen Kernow, AP/H/2455) and Lawrence Murfill (Stratton parish registers; Kresen Kernow, AP/M/1638).
[19] Cornwall Burials (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[20] Poundstock parish registers.
[21] Poundstock parish registers. The 1722 will of John Colwill mentions his wife Jane and his friend William Symons (Kresen Kernow, AP/C/2933).
[22] Poundstock parish registers. She may have been the Patience Symons who married Thomas Brown on 19 May 1716 at Tintagel.
[23] Cornwall OPC Databse (www.cornwall-opc-database.org).
[24] Cornwall Burials (online at www.findmypast.co.uk); Kresen Kernow, AP/S/3019.
[25] Marhamchurch bishop’s transcripts.
[26] Poundstock parish registers.
[27] Poundstock parish registers; Kresen Kernow, AP/S/3341.
[28] Forrabury parish registers; Kresen Kernow, AP/S/3314.
[29] Poundstock parish registers.
[30] Poundstock parish registers; Kresen Kernow, AP/S/3934.
[31] Poundstock parish registers.
[32] Otterham parish registers.
[33] Poundstock parish registers.
[34] Poundstock parish registers.
[35] Poundstock parish registers; Kresen Kernow, AP/S/3760.
[36] Poundstock parish registers.
[37] Poundstock parish registers.
[38] Poundstock parish registers.
[39] Poundstock parish registers.
[40] Poundstock parish registers; Kresen Kernow, AP/S/3554. His monumental inscription states that he was buried on 24 Jun 1773 aged 52.
[41] Poundstock parish registers.
[42] Poundstock parish registers.
[43] Poundstock parish registers.
[44] Week St Mary parish registers.
[46] Poundstock parish registers.
[47] Werrington parish registers.
[48] Werrington parish registers.
[49] Poundstock parish registers.
[50] The Cornwall Royal Gazette, 1 Jan 1847.
[51] Hatherleigh parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk). Margaret Dart Symons and John Dart Symons, children of Robert and Elizabeth Symons, were baptised at Week St Mary in 1805 and 1807.
[52] Poundstock parish registers.
[53] Poundstock parish registers.
[54] Monumental inscription at Poundstock; Kresen Kernow, AP/S/5101.
[55] Poundstock parish registers.
[56] Poundstock parish registers.
[57] Werrington parish registers.
[58] Werrington parish registers.
[59] Werrington bishop’s transcripts.
[60] Werrington bishop’s transcripts.
[61] St Thomas by Launceston parish registers.
[62] Anne Benoy, “A Poor Child of the Parish”, Cornwall Family History Society Journal, 166(Dec 2017):24-25.
[63] Werrington parish registers.
[64] St Thomas by Launceston parish registers.
[65] Werrington parish registers.
[66] Werrington bishop’s transcripts; 1851 census returns, Launceston (National Archives, HO 107/1899, fol. 393).
[67] 1851 census returns, Launceston (National Archives, HO 107/1899, fol. 393).
[68] Werrington bishop’s transcripts; 1851 census returns, Werrington (National Archives, HO 107/1899, fol. 249).
[69] Werrington parish registers.
[70] Lifton parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk). The identity of the Richard “Simmons” who married Mary Hearn at Lifton in 1831 with Richard Symons of Yeolmbridge is confirmed by the birth certificate of Margaret Symons, born on 19 Jul 1841 at Yeolmbridge, giving her parents as Richard Symons and Mary Symons, formerly Hearn.
[71] Werrington bishop’s transcripts.
[72] Werrington bishop’s transcripts.
[73] 1851 census returns, Werrington (National Archives, HO 107/1899, fol. 251); 1861 census returns, St Stephen (National Archives, RG 9/1519, fol. 96). Werrington parish records show that William Symons, aged eight years or thereabouts, was apprenticed to Thomas Reed on 3 Aug 1808 (Kresen Kernow, P251/14/93).
[74] Death certificate.
[75] Boyton parish registers.
[76] 1851 census returns, Werrington (National Archives, HO 107/1899, fol. 251).
[77] Werrington parish registers.
[78] Werrington parish registers.
[79] Werrington parish registers; 1861 census returns, Werrington (National Archives, RG 9/1519, fol. 24).
[80] 1881 census returns, Werrington (National Archives, RG 11/2276, fol. 25).
[81] Werrington parish registers.
[82] 1881 census returns, Werrington (National Archives, RG 11/2276, fol. 25).
[83] 1851 census returns, Werrington (National Archives, HO 107/1899, fol. 251).
[84] The baptism entry in the Werrington parish registers gives the mother’s name as “Ann”. From the 1851 census returns (National Archives, HO 107/1899, fol. 251), William Symons, husband of Sarah Pooley, is known to have had a daughter Ann born about 1833 at Werrington, and since there is no other baptism of an Ann Symons in the Werrington parish registers around that period, nor of any other children with parents named William and Ann Symons, it seems clear that the name “Ann” in the register is in this case an error for “Sarah”.
[85] Werrington parish registers.
[86] Werrington parish registers.
[87] Birth certificate; 1851 census returns, Werrington (National Archives, HO 107/1899, fol. 249). Her death record gives her date of birth as 6 Mar 1838: Ontario deaths.
[89] Northumberland and Durham Counties marriage registers.
[90] 1861 census returns, St Stephen (National Archives, RG 9/1519, fol. 96).
[91] Werrington parish registers.
[92] Cornish and Devon Post, 18 Mar 1893.
[93] 1881 census returns (National Archives, RG 11/2270, fol. 36).
[94] Werrington parish registers.
[95] Werrington parish registers.
[96] 1871 census returns, Lewtrenchard (National Archives, RG 10/2149, fol. 85).
[97] Werrington parish registers.
[98] The Western Morning News, 19 Jan 1924. There seems to have been a tradition at the time of Grace’s death that she was descended from Agnes Prest, a Protestant martyr who was burnt in the 1550s (see http://penncirrus.co.uk/FamilyTree/Palmer/Palmer.htm).
[99] Marystow parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk); 1881 census returns, Lamerton (National Archives, RG 11/2220, fol. 28). The bridegroom is called “John Palmer Walter” in the marriage record but he seems to be John Palmer in most other records.
[100] 1851 census returns, Werrington (National Archives, HO 107/1899, fol. 251).
[101] Werrington parish registers.
[102] Grant of probate.
[103] Marriage certificate.
[104] Cornwall OPC Database (www.cornwall-opc-database.org).
[105] Cornwall Memorial Inscriptions (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[106] Birth certificate.
[107] Death certificate. Will dated 5 Apr 1943, proved 3 Dec 1943.
[108] Marriage certificate.
[109] Cornwall OPC Database (www.cornwall-opc-database.org); 1891 census returns, St Stephen (National Archives, RG 12/1803, fol. 87).
[110] National probate calendars.
[111] The Royal Cornwall Gazette, 19 Nov 1886.
[112] The Cornishman, 24 Apr 1902; 1911 census returns, St Stephen (National Archives, RG 14/13560).
[113] Cornwall OPC Database (www.cornwall-opc-database.org); 1891 census returns, St Stephen (National Archives, RG 12/1803, fol. 87).
[114] National probate calendars.
[115] Marriage certificate.
